Limpopo

Limpopo

Tourist Attractions and Things to Do in Polokwane

At the top of the list of tourist attractions in Limpopo is the northern gate to the Kruger National Park. South Africa’s Limpopo province is also famous for the Big 5, exceptional bird watching, untamed bush and mountain landscapes – all popular things to do in Polokwane. It is also the centre of an ancient African kingdom at Mapungubwe National Park.

For one-stop entertainment and access to the best activities in Limpopo, Sun International’s Meropa Casino and Entertainment World is conveniently located in the province’s capital city Polokwane, within easy reach of tourist attractions in Limpopo.

Top things to do in Polokwane

Here are some of the top things to do in Polokwane, at Meropa.

Enjoy personalised treatments at the Mangwanani Spa.

For kid's entertainment in Limpopo, Meropa Casino offers mini golf, go-karts, and The Magic Company arcade to keep them busy. Add the Wild Thingz Bird and Reptile Park, and the Cultural Village to your list of things to do in Polokwane.

Discover some of the top restaurants in Polokwane at Meropa. Order a perfectly seared steak at the Harvest Charcoal Grill, or enjoy authentic African cuisine at Jembe Tavern.

Jembe Tavern hosts a wide range of live entertainment acts, from comedy to cabaret.

With a great selection of slots and table games, Meropa Casino headlines the tourist attractions in Limpopo.

Tourist attractions in Limpopo near Meropa

Go for a game drive in the Polokwane Game Reserve, which is home to over 50 game species, including the rare white rhino, sable antelope, and giraffe.

The Polokwane Golf Club, founded in 1863, is rated among the top tourist attractions in Limpopo and golf courses in South Africa. US Open Champion Retief Goosen learned to play here, and springbok golfers Ray Earle and Callie Swart both hail from the club. Play your best on generous fairways and bent grass greens while enjoying the scenery. Over the years, this golf course and its clubhouse, the Halfway House, have evolved into a destination of sporty relaxation.

Located 9 kilometres south of the city, the Bakone Malapa Open-Air Museum is another “must-do” when it comes to things to do in Polokwane, evoking the customs of the people who lived here over 300 years ago. The on-site cultural village has been authentically reconstructed to give visitors insight into the history of the Bakone people and their way of life. The tour shows pots being made and demonstrations of tools such as the antelope horn trumpet and marula root matches.

In town, the Hugh Exton Photographic Museum is set in a restored 19th-century church, and covers Polokwane’s first half-century as well as the second Anglo-Boer War through the work of the prolific photographer, who left behind some 23 000 glass negatives.

About 50 kilometres north of Polokwane, the Tropic of Capricorn Monument is a marker surrounded by picturesque mountains and bushveld. The nearby "koppies" (small mountains) are considered sacred by local communities, and many traditional clan rituals are held here. The Tropic of Capricorn is the southern boundary of the tropics and marks the furthest point south at which the sun can be seen directly overhead at noon.

Just 18 kilometres south of Polokwane, the Makapan Valley is the only cultural heritage site of its kind, making it one of the popular tourist attractions in Limpopo. Makapan’s Cave is famous for its fossils, some of which are the oldest in the world. It is also a monument to the 30-day siege between General Potgieter and the local tribesmen, and the ensuing battle in which Potgieter was killed along with 1500 others. The Cave of Hearths is one of only two Stone Age sites in the world that contain an unbroken sequence of artefacts from the Earlier Stone Age to the Later Stone Age.

One of Limpopo’s biggest drawcards is the northern Kruger National Park, which is home to hundreds of tree, fish, amphibian, reptilian, bird and mammal species, including Africa’s Big 5. Discover the Kruger National Park on game walks and drives, hikes, eco-trails, 4x4 adventures and mountain bike routes.